INNISFAIL - It has been a loving and honour-filled sacred tradition for nearly a century.
Wearing the red poppy, the symbol of respect for veterans -- for their sacrifice, devotion to duty and love of country and its values -- was inspired by the poem In Flanders Fields by Lt.-Col. John McCrae, a Canadian soldier and surgeon during the Great War's Second Battle of Ypres.
On July 5, 1921 the Great War Veterans Association of Canada decided to use the poppy as a symbol of remembrance while fundraising. Almost 100 years later the Royal Canadian Legion remains committed to the poppy as a powerful way to honour and remember all veterans, whether they served in a combat role in a faraway conflict, on Canadian soil, or whether their beloved duty was on peace missions.
Every single veteran matters, recent or past -- from the South African War from 1899 to 1902 to the Afghanistan War from 2001 to 2014. The poppy is worn proudly by tens of millions of Canadians -- including Innisfailians, Penholders, Bowdenites and Red Deer County citizens, from the last Friday of October to Nov. 11.
The Poppy Campaign is organized and run by local legion volunteers at more than 1,400 branches across Canada, including the Innisfail Royal Canadian Legion Branch #104, and abroad. Poppy Funds are held in trust at every level of the legion. From the legion's most recently released statistics in 2016, more than 21.5 million poppies were distributed, and $16.7 million dispersed between October 2016 and October 2017 to support veterans and their families.
This year the Poppy Campaign kicked off on Oct. 26, and Canadians were able to show their support in a whole new way. In addition to the traditional poppy, the Royal Canadian Legion introduced a digital poppy on Oct. 28. This digital poppy is available for purchase by donation at www.mypoppy.ca
Stephen Black, the Innisfail's legion's 2nd vice-president and poppy chairman, noted members of the No 7 Penhold Royal Canadian Air Cadets sold poppies at various locations throughout Innisfail and Penhold on Oct. 27 and Nov. 3. He said up to 100 poppy boxes were placed at many local businesses and community facilities starting on Oct. 26. This year's Poppy Campaign officially ends at about noon on Nov. 11 following the local Remembrance Day ceremony at the Main Street cenotaph.
"A large part of the Poppy Campaign’s success is because of the many volunteers who dedicate their time and effort to the campaign. Members of Branch 104 will once again be selling wreaths to businesses and community organizations," said Black, who began organizing for this year's local Poppy Campaign in August. "It has picked up big time for me to get organized and putting out the poppy trays.
"There are lots of people who pitch in; our whole executive. Members of our branch is huge," he said. "They are very helpful. There are too many to name."
For more information on the Royal Canadian Legion's Poppy Campaign citizens can visit the website at http://www.legion.ca/home or for more local information on wreath sales or donating to the local Poppy Campaign, call the Innisfail legion office at 403-227-3622.
